When it comes to authoring YA chillers, Jessica Goodman is in a class of her own. She has the ability to create complex characters with hidden desires and motives complicating even their most intimate relationships. The drama rises from their far from perfect personalities and interactions. Her latest masterpiece, Lies Between Us, perfectly illustrates this dynamic.
The affluent Gold sisters--Lucy, Millie, and Frankie lead a seemingly perfect life in their beachfront island mansion. Their best friends, the Silver brothers--Ethan, Trevor, and Alex--live next door and are like family. There's very little crime and a deep sense of security in their sheltered community. At the start of what promises to be another idyllic summer the girls' most pressing concern seems to be the impending departure of Lucy and Ethan for college.
But nothing is as picture perfect as it seems on the surface. It turns out that the Gold girls have some pretty serious secrets that have the potential to mess things up. Lucy and Ethan have been planning to go to college together as the next step in their relationship. Lucy, however, has chosen a further away college. She's not sure she wants what Ethan has to offer. She also isn't sure when she'll tell him. Millie, meanwhile, is seriously and secretly coveting Ethan. Little sister Frankie seems to be channeling Nancy Drew, digging up the dirt on quite a few people...
...and there's plenty of dirt to dig up. Seems like the sisters aren't the only ones with closely guarded secrets.
The catalyst that really sets the narrative in motion happens on the heels of a late night party thrown by Ethan's best friend, Billy. Billy disappears and is found dead in the ocean at the beach where Ethan and Millie are on life guard duty. His death doesn't seem to be due to simple drowning. There's evidence of foul play.
Other than Ethan, most people didn't like Billy. There are plenty of people with motive and opportunity, even in his family.
The police investigating Billy's death are being totally inept. Frankie is in full Nancy Drew mode, determined to solve the case despite admonitions to leave the detective work to the professionals. And everyone is clinging more tightly to their secrets.
Can you deduce the identity of Billy's killer before Goodman reveals it. I have to admit I couldn't.
On a purrrsonal note, we celebrated 🥳 🎉 🎊 🍾 Fathers Day on Saturday. It was the most perfect day imaginable. Katie and Adam came up from Southern Maine. They, Eugene, Amber, Brian, and I went yard saling and got great finds. My favorites were butterflies 🦋 print Vans high tops, an Annabelle dress for Halloween, a cat Christmas sweater, a Hello Kitty and Friends hoodie, and darling rain boots. Then Katie, Adam, Eugene, and I went to Route 1A Relics, an amazing 3 floor antique store. It was Katie and Adam's first time there and they loved it. I found 3 Squishmallows Eugene picked up the tab for. Katie treated us all to a scrumptious subs and French fries lunch. Then we explored an antique and book store housed in what used to be an industrial chicken coop. I actually found 5 YA books which was very fortunate because that night I ran out of library books. Then we went to an ice cream 🍦 😋 place. I remembered Dr. Teddy instructing me to decide what foods I missed the most and now and then have a small portion. Ice cream tops my list. With my little dish of sea salt caramel I was in seventh heaven. The perfect ending for a perfect day.
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene, our children's wonderful father who is also the love of my life.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my Galaxy
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